Absconding ex-Bihar minister Manju Verma surrenders before court

Begusarai: Former Bihar minister Manju Verma, who had been evading arrest in an Arms Act case lodged in the course of investigations in the Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal, surrendered before a court here Tuesday.

Verma reached the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Prabhat Trivedi in an auto rickshaw. She fainted as soon as she entered the court premises along with a few aides. She regained consciousness after water was sprinkled on her face by bystanders after which she was taken into the court room.

The Supreme Court had on November 12 rapped the Bihar Police for failing to arrest the former minister and directed the DGP to appear before it in person on November 27 if she was not nabbed by then.

Verma had stepped down as the minister for social welfare in August, following reports that her husband, Chandrashekhar Verma, had close links with Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal.

Over 30 girls were allegedly raped at the shelter home. The Arms Act case was lodged against Verma following recovery of a huge quantity of ammunition from her residence here during a CBI raid.